Summer
by Light Blue Walls
Summary: Katie learns that family isn't about who gave birth to you or where you live, but who loves you for being you. One-shot.


Title: Summer

Characters: Katie, Fred, George, Ginny, Mrs. Weasley  
Quote: "It is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons." ~Johann Schiller  
Notes: **Prequel to Orange. =) If you enjoy this, go check it out! **

**_Summer_**

Katie tiptoed her way to the kitchen, hoping desperately that her parents were busy. The last thing she needed was to have to actually _talk _to them.

Luck, it seemed, was not on Katie's side, today. There, at the kitchen table, sat her mother, looking as severe as always. She was typing furiously on her laptop, hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. As Katie walked in, Eileen Bell looked up, an exasperated scowl on her face.

"Katherine. Aren't you supposed to be at Melissa's house?" She asked, lips pursed. Katie shrugged, walking to the refrigerator.

"I got back an hour ago. She had to go to her sister's dance recital." The twelve-year-old pulled out the half-full milk carton, drinking it straight. Her mother grimaced, but said nothing.

"Oh, how…nice." Eileen went back to typing, and Katie went back to chugging milk from the carton. Noticing her mother's winces of disgust, the young witch purposely slopped a bit on the floor.

"Oops." She "attempted" to wipe it up with her bare foot, but it only spread the mess more. Her mother's indignant silence told Katie that she wanted something, and Katie was willing to – pardon the pun-- milk the opportunity for all it was worth.

"Katherine." Eileen's voice was sharp and cold, and she didn't lift her gaze from her laptop. Katie sat on top of the table where her mother worked, smiling brightly.

"Yes, mum?" She asked sweetly, swinging her legs back and forth. Eileen looked like she was going to explode, but she kept her cool, placing her hands on the table.

"As you know, your father is leaving for The States in two days on a business trip, and your brother is off to his summer study program in France in a week. I have too much to do to, in short, keep you from terrorizing the neighborhood." Katie couldn't help but smirk at this idea. "Can you stay at one of your school friend's house for the next two weeks?"

The girl shrugged again, much to the annoyance of her mother. "I suppose so. I'll have to go write to them." Eileen nodded curtly, then went back to her computer. Katie ran back up the stairs and called to Lucy, the screech owl she had spent all of her birthday money on during Christmas break. Lucy perched on the girl's shoulder, nipping her ear affectionately.

Taking out a stack of parchment, Katie set out to writing letters to Alicia, Leanne, and Olivia, one of her other roommates, copying down the same note on each one. Sending them off quickly, Katie flopped down on her bed, settling back to take a nap.

When she woke a while later, three replies sat neatly on her desk, all bearing similar messages: "Oh, so sorry, Katie, but we're leaving for vacation tomorrow" or "Sorry, Kit, but my cousin's getting married and the house is going to be swamped with relatives." She sighed, unsure whom else she could write. Cormac's mother was strictly against having girls in the house and she wasn't very close to Angelina. And her mother obviously didn't want her to stay in the muggle world while she wasn't there to regulate, so Melissa was out. That only left one option.

"Oh, there is no bloody way I'm staying with the twins for two weeks. Absolutely not."

* * *

Charlie Weasley sat at the breakfast table, sipping contently at his orange juice. It was a beautiful Wednesday morning and he was the only person awake in the house. Just as he was relishing the peace and quiet, a scruffy-looking screech owl swooped through the window, dropping a letter in his lap. It landed on his shoulder, nuzzling his face affectionately.

"Strange owl, aren'tcha?" He asked, opening the letter. The owl hooted in response, and if it could smile, Charlie would have bet it was grinning at him.

He turned back to the letter, then realized it was for the twins, not him. Noticing the girly handwriting, though, and remembering the multiple times the twins had intercepted his mail, Charlie kept reading.

_Dear Fred and George,_

_I wouldn't be writing this letter if I had any other options, but luck is not on my side and I need a favor. My parents and brother will all be gone and busy in the upcoming two weeks, and they are requesting that I leave my muggle neighborhood for that time. They seem to think that I will hex every muggle I see now that I know how to. Stupid gits. Anyhoo, would it be too much to ask if I could stay at your place for two weeks? I don't eat (too) much and I'll sleep on the couch and do my own laundry and everything (though I've never been sure how wizards do laundry). You know I love you two from the bottom of my heart, so…PLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASE!!! _

_Much love,_

_Katie. _

As he finished reading, he let out a bark of a laugh. His mum bustled in at that moment, preparing to make breakfast for the family, and smiled.

"A letter from a friend of yours, Charlie? A girl, perhaps?" She asked, pulling out a pan to make some eggs.

"Well, it's from a girl, but it's not for me," Charlie answered, chuckling. Molly Weasley cocked her head, frowning slightly.

"Then who is it for? Bill? Percy?" She waved her wand, summoning some eggs from the hen house in the back yard.

"Nope. It's for the twins." She stared at him, eyebrow raised.

"Seriously, Charlie. Who's it for?" The eggs flew in, then cracked themselves over the pan.

"The twins, I swear, Mum. From some girl named Katie," He said, smirking, just as Fred and George walked in, yawning.

"What about us and Katie? You're not telling mum about the incident with Mrs. Norris, are you?" Fred asked, throwing himself in a chair.

"'Cause, I swear, we were framed! Katie didn't speak to us for a week after that, all because of that stupid prat, Flint." George followed his brother, sitting next to Charlie.

Molly scowled at the twins in suspicion, but said nothing about the incident. Instead, she asked, "So, what did Katie have to say, Charlie?"

Fred and George turned their heads towards their brother, confused. Charlie smirked and cleared his throat, then read, "Blah blah blah, no other options. Blah blah, something about her parents and brother being gone for the next two weeks. Blah blah, being accused of planning to hex muggles or something. Blah blah blah, can I stay with you two? Blah blah, I'll stay out of your hair and stuff. Blah blah blah blah, oh my favorite part. '_You know I love you two from the bottom of my heart.' _How sweet. Oh, and '_Much love, Katie'."_

The twins grabbed the letter from their brother's hands, reading Katie's actual words. "Can she come stay with us, Mum? Please?" Fred asked, looking up.

"Well…" Molly hesitated. As much as she would love to have another girl around to be an influence for Ginny, anyone who was a friend of Fred and George would be a troublemaker.

"Please, Mum? You'll love her! She's like us—" Molly paled, almost burning the eggs. George bit his lip and Fred backtracked.

"But, I mean, a girl. And she would never cause trouble here. C'mon Mum, please? Her parents are horrible to her, all uptight and stuff. Can't she come here for a bit? She's desperate for a place to stay."

"Well, I suppose. But no trouble, you two, I mean it. Tell her we'll pick her up by Floo on Saturday." The twins grinned as Molly turned back to her cooking.

"Thanks Mum!" They shouted in unison, then ran upstairs to write a reply. The screech owl followed them, hooting happily.

Charlie grinned. "I know the twins share everything, but a girlfriend too?" Molly slapped the back of her son's head, hiding a smile.

"Do you know this Katie girl? Is she a Gryffindor too?" She set a plate of eggs in front of her son, then refilled his glass of orange juice.

"Yeah, she's a Gryffindor. She's a year younger than the twins, and a muggle-born, I think. Oliver Wood tells me she's a pretty good flyer too. She's Fred and George's partner-in-crime, so to speak, but closer to Fred than George, I think. Like the way George and Lee are closer than Fred and Lee. But other than that, I don't know much about her. She seems nice enough, but it's not like I spend my time talking to first years."

Molly said nothing, but nodded, thinking. Finally, she spoke, "Well, I hope those three behave. It's bad enough having to control two pranksters. One more isn't exactly what we need right now."

* * *

Katie sat in her living room, duffle bag at her feet. Her dad was in The States, her brother was off buying travel amenities for his trip, and her mother was at work, leaving the young witch alone in the large, cold house. The barren fireplace seemed especially foreign to her, today, as she stared at it with anticipation. She was leaving for two whole weeks and couldn't be more excited.

She desperately hoped the Weasleys liked her. She was loud and mischievous, and a tad bit rebellious, nothing parents wanted in their children. She often wondered how she could not have turned out how her parents had planned: quiet, studious, and obedient. They worked so hard to pound their morals and beliefs into her head, but, and perhaps it was her magic working here, her brain just rejected it all. She was a failure, and a magical freak to make things worse. The only good that had resulted from her being a witch was that her parents got to lie and tell neighbors that she was off at some prestigious boarding school.

Suddenly, bright green flames appeared in the fireplace, and a tall, balding man stepped out of them, coughing slightly.

"Ah, Katie. Nice to meet you," Mr. Weasley shook the stunned girl's hand, giving her a genuine smile. "Oh, here comes Ginny."

Green flames appeared again, and a small, redheaded girl stepped out of the fireplace, soot covering her freckled face.

"Mum is busy yelling at Fred and George. We're supposed to stall until she's done so Katie wont see her being mean." Mr. Weasley sighed, bring his palm to his forehead. Ginny's eyes grew wide as she realized her mistake. "Oops. I guess I shouldn't have said that."

Katie giggled, then said, "Can I offer you two a drink? We have water, milk, tea, Coke…"

Mr. Weasley smiled. "Water would be lovely. Ginny, how about you?"

The small girl cocked her head. "What's Coke?"

Katie smiled. "Here, I'll show you. It's a muggle drink." Ginny and Mr. Weasley followed Katie into the pristine kitchen, gawking at all of the appliances.

Katie opened up the refrigerator, pulling out a red can. She popped the tab, and both Weasley's gasped as it fizzled. The older girl smiled and handed the drink to Ginny, who apprehensively took a sip.

"It's tingles!" She exclaimed, then took another sip. "Wow, this stuff is great!"

Katie winked, then grabbed a glass from the cabinet. Opening the freezer, she scooped out a couple ice cubes, then turned on the water tap, letting it fill up the glass.

"Here, Mr. Weasley," she said, handing him the glass of water. He just stared at it in amazement, mesmerized by all of the muggle technology that had provided it.

"Thank you, Katie." He took a large gulp, then set it down. "Well, do you think that was enough time for your mother, Gin?"

The small girl nodded, still sipping on the Coke like crazy.

"Are your parents around, Katie? Do you need to say goodbye?" Mr. Weasley asked as they moved back into the living room.

"Nah, they knew I was leaving today. Mum and Chris won't even notice until I'm not at dinner." She hoisted her bag onto her shoulder, smiling slightly.

Mr. Weasley seemed surprised. "Ah, okay. Well, let's go then." He held out the bag of floo powder to Katie and she took a handful. "Just through it in and say, 'The Burrow'. Got it?"

Katie nodded, then followed his directions. She stepped into the fireplace, threw down the powder, and shouted, "The Burrow!" as she was engulfed in green flames. She was shot through what looked like a tunnel, blurred visions of other living rooms sweeping past her as she slid.

Finally, Katie burst into a small living area, propelled face-first onto the rug. She grabbed her bag and stood up, brushing the soot from her clothes. Following the din of voices she heard from down the hall, she came into a kitchen, where the rest of the Weasley family sat, all talking rather loudly.

"She's not my girlfriend, Charlie! I mean it! What about you and Tonks, then, eh?" Fred shouted at his older brother, who blushed.

"Tonks is just my friend. You know that." The twins smirked evilly, glancing at each other.

"Who's Tonks?" A younger boy asked. He was redheaded and freckled like the rest, with a long nose and dirt smudged on his face. Katie assumed this was Ron, the youngest Weasley brother.

"No one—" Charlie started, but was quickly interrupted by Fred and George.

"Katie!"

"You're here!"

They ran up and each put an arm around her shoulders, grinning. Charlie waved, Ron ducked his head shyly, Percy, looked up from his book and nodded in her direction, and a taller boy with long hair – Bill, she supposed – gave her a smile.

"Er, hey guys. Thank you so much for having me," Katie said awkwardly. Mr. Weasley and Ginny walked in behind her, the young girl still drinking her Coke.

"It's no trouble at all, Katie." A voice came from behind the crowd of boys, where a plump, kindly looking woman stood, a basket of laundry in her hands. "Fred, George, why don't you show Katie up to her room." The twins nodded, Fred grabbing her duffel bag for her. Mrs. Weasley turned to Katie, smiling. "You'll be staying in Ginny's room, if that's not too much to ask. We're a bit tight for rooms around here, and Merlin knows you don't want to stay in the twins' room. I wouldn't inflict that torture on anyone."

Katie laughed, then thanked the motherly woman, before racing upstairs with the twins.

"Here you go, Kit. The land of everything flowery," Fred said, tossing her bag on a makeshift cot. The room they had walked into was indeed covered with pictures of flowers, making it feel like a garden. The walls were a bright peach color and several potted plants sat on the windowsill. The air was thick with the scent of lavender and rosemary, and Katie smiled as she noticed the muddy rubber boots in the corner.

"It's disgusting, isn't it?" George asked, grimacing.

Katie shook her head. "Nah, it's cute. I mean, consider yourselves lucky. These walls could be covered in posters of cute Quidditch players and cutouts from Witch Weekly." The twins shrugged in agreement.

"I suppose. Anyways, let's get down to dinner. Mum's made homemade ice cream just for your arrival!"

"Yeah, I hope you like strawberry."

Katie grinned, putting her arms around the twins' shoulders. "It's my favorite."

* * *

After dinner, Katie joined the Weasley boys in a game of Quidditch. Bill, George, and Ron formed one team; Charlie, Fred, and Katie made up the other. Ginny watched from the ground, where she sat, playing with a roly-poly, and Percy sat nearby, reading.

"Oi! Kit! Over here!" Fred waved frantically, hovering above his brother. Katie chucked the ball at him, hitting the twin squarely in the chest. "Oof!" He shouted as he fell off his broom. Though he hadn't been very far off the ground, Ginny shrieked as he hit the ground.

"Fred! Fred!" The tiny girl raced over to her brother, bending over his body. The others landed next to him, discarding their brooms.

"Freddy!" Ginny shouted again, shaking his shoulder. The boy didn't move, and Katie felt her face going pale. George squeezed her shoulder, and gave her a wait-a-minute-and-you'll-see look.

"Fred Weasley, if you're dead, I'm telling Mum and you'll be in big trouble!" Ginny scowled, crossing her arms. Without warning, Fred lurched at his sister, pinning her to the ground.

"Oh, I will, will I? Well, good thing I'm not dead, isn't it?" Katie let out the breath she had been holding. The stupid prat had been faking it.

"Gerroff me, you fat oaf!" Ginny shouted, poorly masking her giggles. Fred just laughed, then looked up at George. His twin smirked, then grabbed Katie's arm.

"DOG PILE!" He shouted, throwing Katie down on top of Fred. She landed with a thud, then felt the wind get knocked out of her as George added to the pile. Charlie laughed and followed soon after, Ron next, then Bill, forgoing his role as the oldest and most mature, grabbed Percy from the sidelines, where he had been reading, and added two more bodies to the giant dog pile.

Katie laughed, barely able to breath, as Mrs. Weasley bustled over, camera in hand. She snapped a few pictures of the kids, then told them to get off Ginny, because it was time for the Weasleys to go to bed.

The older boys got off immediately, knowing their sister was probably suffocating under their immense weight. Percy stalked off, peeved his book had been interrupted. Bill pulled Ron up, ruffling his hair, then went to put the brooms up for the night. Charlie pulled George up by the scruff of his neck, telling him it wasn't nice to squish ladies. Katie rolled off of Fred, who finally got off of Ginny. The youngest girl didn't seem fazed at all, and just smiled at Katie as she skipped off to bed.

The twins "chivalrously" escorted Katie up to her room, insisting that ladies such as herself were unable to climb stairs on their own. Katie told them where they could stick their chivalry, then bid them a good night, grinning widely. She had been at the Burrow for less than twenty-four hours, and she already felt more at home than she ever had in her own house.

After changing into her pajamas and brushing her teeth, Katie walked into Ginny's room, where Mrs. Weasley was reading to the young girl. Katie smiled, slipping into the cot.

"Oh, Katie dear, I brought you a glass of milk to drink before bed." The motherly woman handed her a mug, smiling.

"What happened then, Mum?" Ginny asked, grasping her own milk with two hands. Mrs. Weasley turned back to the book she was reading, and began to speak.

"Well, then the beautiful young witch waved her wand, and the barren landscape was covered in a blanket of magnificent flowers. All the muggles in the village rejoiced, and for a time, those muggles and wizards lived side-by-side in peace. And even after the two groups went their ways, and time erased the knowledge of magic from the mind of the muggles, the gift of the flowers forever represented an underlying bond that not even the most powerful spell could ever undo."

Ginny sighed in contentment, nestling under her covers. She murmured a goodnight to her mum, then something that sounded vaguely like, "I like flower stories…so pretty…"

"Goodnight to you too, love." Mrs. Weasley kissed her daughter's head. With a wave of her wand the lights extinguished themselves, and Katie lied down, pulling the covers to her chin.

"Goodnight, Katie, dear." She felt lips on her forehead and realized that she, for the first time since she was a baby, was getting a goodnight-kiss.

"'Night, Mrs. Weasley."

* * *

Around midnight or so, Katie woke up, in desperate need to use the toilet. Careful not to wake Ginny, Katie ran from the room, slipped down the hall, and into the bathroom. After relieving herself, the young witch walked back to Ginny's room, passing the staircase on the way. As she passed, Katie noticed a light coming from downstairs, and, only being half awake, decided to investigate.

Watching out for the creaky steps, she tiptoed into the living room, where Mrs. Weasley sat, sipping a cup of tea. She was just about to go back upstairs when she heard, "Katie? Is that you, dear?"

"Sorry to disturb you, Mrs. Weasley. I just saw the light on…" Katie trailed off, shrugging. Mrs. Weasley patted the spot on the sofa next to her, smiling. Katie walked over and sat down, clasping her hands together.

"Couldn't sleep, could you?" The older woman asked, a kind look on her face. Katie couldn't help but smile a bit.

"Er, something like that. If you don't mind my asking, what are you doing up?"

Mrs. Weasley took another sip of tea, staring into the dying embers of the fire. "Oh, just worrying. It's what we mothers do best."

Katie crossed her legs underneath herself, frowning. "'Bout what?"

"Oh, you know. Ron'll be off at Hogwarts next year, and he's just…less self-sufficient than his brothers. I'm just worried he won't adjust as well. And Ginny will be all alone, and I don't know how I can keep her entertained. She's friends with this nice girl from over the hill, but they can't spend _all_ their time together. I'm worried she'll be sad being an only child. And then I'm worried the twins will get expelled before they can graduate, and that Percy isn't having as much fun as a kid as he should be, and that Charlie will get hurt, because he wants to work with animals like Dragons and Hippogriffs, and I'm worried Bill will get cursed in his new job with Gringotts."

Katie just stared at Mrs. Weasley, mouth slightly open. "Wow…that's a lot to be worried about. How have you not exploded yet?"

Mrs. Weasley chuckled, smiling. "I'm a mother. I'm built to worry. It's my job."

Katie nodded, frowning slightly. Did her mother ever worry? Of course she did. But _her_ mother was worried about making money, and making sure Christian had everything he needed to succeed in life, and keeping her reputation pristine, and hiding her freak daughter's secret. She never worried if Katie was happy at school, or if she could get hurt flying on a broomstick. She didn't act like a mother, did she?

"Katie, dear? Are you alright?" Mrs. Weasley asked, setting her tea down. Katie nodded, biting her lip.

"It's just…weird, I suppose. To be surrounded by a real family. You care for your kids so much, and they love each other like siblings should. All my mother cares about is her reputation and social status. All my father cares about is money and my brother's future. And my brother hates me. We aren't a family. We're a group of biologically related people living under the same roof."

Mrs. Weasley hugged the girl, a sad smile on her lips. "Oh, Katie, I'm sorry."

The girl shrugged. "Not your fault. We can't choose our family."

"Well, I'll have you know everyone in this family loves you already. While you were getting ready for bed all Ginny could talk about was the 'Koke' that you gave her and how excited she was to have a big sister of sorts. And Charlie thinks you'll be a good influence on the twins, an idea Bill and Percy voiced as well. Ron was very impressed with your Quidditch skills, since the only girl he's ever known refuses to play with the boys, and Arthur thinks you're a sweetheart for putting up with his hundreds of questions about muggles. And as for me – well, after watching you with the twins, I think I'm starting to think I gave birth to three twins, not two. In my opinion, sweetie, you were born to be a Weasley."

Katie grinned, hugging the older woman again. "Does that mean I can call you mum, then?" She asked, laughing.

Mrs. Weasley chuckled, taking a sip of her tea. "If you really want to. Now, off to bed."

* * *

The next morning, Fred and George raced down to breakfast, meeting up with the girls along the way. "Morning, Katie," Fred said, ruffling her hair.

"Morning, Fred. George." As the twins and Ginny sat at the table, Katie went over to where Mrs. Weasley was cooking, and started to help.

"Oh, thank you Katie. Here can you take these scraps to the pigpen?" She handed the girl a plate of bread scraps and eggshells, pointing to the backdoor.

"Of course, Mama Weasley," she replied, walking out the back door. George cast Fred a confused look, and they both turned to Ginny, who shrugged.

"Mum, did Katie just call you 'Mama Weasley'?" George asked. Molly smiled.

"Of course she did. She _is_ the second Weasley daughter, after all."


End file.
